Impacting millions of Americans, http://www.afb.org/info/blindness-statistics/adults/facts-and-figures/235″ target=”_blank”>vision loss can be as varied as the people who experience it – from simply having to put on a pair of reading glasses to scan through the morning paper, to total blindness. And it’s a lot more common in older adults, with one out of every three senior citizens over age 65 experiencing some form of eye disease that impacts vision, like glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, among others. Thankfully, just like so many other challenging conditions, technology continues to explode with options to improve standard of living for those experiencing vision problems. Simply take a look at a number of the vision enhancement tools which are currently available:
- Be My Eyes. This incredible application connects sighted volunteers with those with low vision or blindness, and literally allows them to see, through the individual's phone, all sorts of immediate needs – like checking expiration dates of food or verifying that an outfit matches. And, “It’s being used for some amazing things,” according to Alexander Jensen, Be My Eyes’ Community Director. “We received a message from a woman who said she used a Be My Eyes volunteer to check on her wedding gown for any stains before the ceremony started.”
- Seeing AI. An even more recently released application, Seeing AI also utilizes a sight-impaired person’s phone, providing identification of a person to whom the camera is directed, including recognition of the person’s facial expressions to pick up on feelings and mood. Also, it can scan barcodes to recognize items (with an audible alert as soon as the camera is close to a barcode), verify denominations of currency, and a wide variety of other functions, even without an Internet connection.
- RoboCane. This really is no ordinary white cane! Built with a computer, microphone and 3-D camera, RoboCane can detect obstacles and provide voice prompts to let the user know what’s ahead. It also can guide its user through usage of a motor-driven roller tip once floor plans of a desired route are loaded into its computer, as well as take verbal commands from its user and supply audio feedback through a wireless earphone.
Independence-4-Seniors Home Care of Kane County can help improve total wellbeing for those with a vision impairment through safe, reliable transportation and accompaniment to outings, help with household chores and personal care tasks, and much, much more. Call us at any time at (630) 323-4665 for a complementary in-home consultation for more information!